𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐓! [pjo]

I; snake ladies

June lifted her scrappy dress to reveal swollen purple feet. Great. Just great. Cal kinda wanted to cry.

"I can't get there by myself," she said. "Carry me to camp—across the highway, through the tunnel, across the river."

Percy and Cal exchanged glances, having no clue what river she meant, but it didn't sound easy. June looked pretty heavy.

The gorgons were only fifty yards away now—leisurely gliding toward him as if they knew the hunt was almost over. Percy looked at the old lady

. "And I'd carry you to this camp because—?"

"Because it's a kindness!" she said. "And if you don't, the gods will die, the world we know will perish, and everyone from your old life will be destroyed. Of course, you wouldn't remember them, so I suppose it won't matter. You'd be safe at the bottom of the sea...." Cal gulped. The gorgons shrieked with laughter as they soared in for the kill.

They were getting closer. A lot closer.

"If we go to camp," Percy asked, " will we get our memories back?"

"Eventually," June replied, "But be warned, you will sacrifice much! You'll lose the mark of Achilles. You'll both feel pain, misery, and loss beyond anything you've ever known. But you might have a chance to save your old friends and family, to reclaim your old life. You'll remember things that you long to know."

Cal's heart clenched. She could remember, and so could Percy, but at what price? Would Percy remember and leave her in the dust? He'd mentioned how all he could remember was her name and one other Annabeth, but what if that was only because they were in this situation together?

Percy squeezed her hand again, tighter this time.

"What about those guards at the door?" Percy asked.

June smiled. "Oh, they'll let you in, dear. You can trust those two. So, what do you say? Will you help a defenseless old woman?" Percy doubted June was defenseless.

"I'll carry you." He was about to scoop up the old woman, but then he stopped and looked at Cal.

"Oh yes! Her ankle." June cackled, "what'll it be deary? You can only carry one"

Cal shook her head and limped forward, touching the side of Percy's neck.

"I'll be fine Perce. I have a feeling I've been through worse," she whispered.

He nodded and rested his forehead against hers, "you sure?"

She nodded, laughing softly, and he turned and picked up June.

They made it across the first lane of traffic. A driver honked. Another yelled something that was lost in the wind. Most just swerved and looked irritated, as if they had to deal with a lot of ratty limping teenagers carrying old hippie women across the freeway here in Berkeley. A shadow fell over them.

Stheno called down gleefully, "Clever kids! Found a goddess to carry, did you?"

A goddess?

June cackled with delight, muttering, "Whoops!" as a car almost killed them.

Somewhere off to their left, Euryale screamed, "Get them! Three prizes are better than two!"

they ran across the remaining lanes, Cal ignoring the searing pain in her ankle. Somehow they made it to the median alive. Cal looked over her shoulder and saw the gorgons swooping down, cars swerving as the monsters passed overhead.

One of the guards yelled. The guy with the bow knocked an arrow. Percy shouted, "Wait!"

Cal prayed to gods that this wasn't how they died, running from snake ladies with an old lady on Percy's back, covered in dirt and grime and blood. What did the mortals even see?